Plural-length tape dispensing means



Nov. 16, 1937. T. R. GAUTIER PLURAL LENGTH TAPE DISPENSING MEANS FiledMay 21, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l NOV. 16, 1937. T R, GAUTIER 2,099,647

PLURAL LENGTH TAPE DISPENSING MEANS Filed May 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE PLURAL-LENGTH TAPEDISPENSING MEANS setts Application .May 21, 1936, Serial No. 81,001

14 Claims.

My present invention relates to means for dispensing strip material suchas gummed tape, for packaging and like purposes, and more particularlyaims to provide improved mechanism for delivering selectively strips ofrequired diiferentV lengths.

In the drawings, illustrating by way of example one embodiment of theinvention,

Fig. 1 is a-right side elevation of the forwardportion of a machine inaccordance with the invention; and v Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthrough the machine of Fig. 1, illustrating the feed means.

The machine of the illustrative embodiment comprises a' pair of spacedside frames I, I suitably supported as by the feet 2 and connected as bycross bolts, one of which is seen at 3. A

movable top vcover is indicated at 4 in Fig. 2.

The tape T is supplied from a tape roll S in a chamber provided betweenthe rear portions of the side frames. It is drawn 01T from the supplyand -advanced by a pair of pinch feed rolls, including the upper roll 5and the lower driven roll 6, the tape being suitably guided to the feedrolls as by a guide roll l.

Beyond the feed rolls 5, 6, the tape T is advanced past a severingmeans, herein comprising a fixed upper blade 8 and a movable lower blade9. The latter is normally held below the path of the tape as by a springl0 and is arranged to be operated to sever the tape, at the will of theoperator, through the medium of a cut-off lever II pivoted on the frameas at I2 and operatively connected to the movable blade 9 as by apivoted link I3.

Beyond or forwardly of the severing means, in the direction of the tapefeed, the tape is fed past suitable moistening means illustrated as abrush I 4 projecting from a liquid reservoir I5 removably supportedbetween side frames, as upon the cross bolt 3. The tape is guided acrossthe moistener I4,.withits under gummed face in moistening relation withit as by an overlying guide I6. Thus the machine is adapted to presentto the operator moistened lengths of tape available at the delivery endof the machine, at the left in Fig. l, in readiness to be severed foruse, by depressing the cut-off lever `I I.

In connection with wrapping cartons, bundles ,50 and other packages,especially where the articles are of a more or less standard size, atleast two different tape lengths are frequently required withconsiderable regularity, these lengths corresponding to the maindimensions of the pack- 55 age. It is also desirable that the operatorbe able to repeat either given length any number of times or to shiftfrom one length tothe other instantly. Accordingly my present inventionprovides feed and length control means subject to instant selectiveactuation to give either of a plurality, two in the illustratedembodiment, of

different tape lengths, each of which is pre" f determinedly adjustable.

Referring again to the drawings, the feed mechanism herein comprises amain shaft 20, see particularly Fig. 2, journaled in the side frames andprojecting laterally beyond them. Associated with the shaft 20 is aplural operating means including a right feed lever 2l and 'a left icedlever 22 each equipped with a hand grip 23 and 24 respectively, locatedconveniently to the hand of the operator. The grips 23, 24 are rotatablysupported as on bolts 25, 26 so that they may be vdisposed in the facinginner position as illustrated or may be set at the outside of the feedlevers, or one inside and the other outside, to suit the particularoperator and circumstances of use.

The hubs 21, 28 of the feed levers 2|, 22 are loosely received upon theends of the shaft 20. The levers are operatively associated with theshaft in such manner that forward movement of either of them will turnthe shaft in the feeding direction but such movement of one of them isnot communicated to the other but leaves the latter at rest. For thispurpose the lever hubs are formed with operating lugs 29, 30, see Fig.l, projecting at their outer ends. These lugs stand behind radiallyprojecting keys 3|, 32 set into diametral slots in the respective. outerends of the shaft 20 and held in place as by the washers 33, 34 andbolts 35, 36. A portion of the side cover plate 60, referred tolater,has been broken away in .Fig. 1 and a section .taken through thebolt 35 just inside the Washer 33 to expose the feed lever hub 21 andkey3| set in the end slot of the shaft 20.

It will be apparent that through the described means the forwardmovement of either feed lever 2I or 22 in the direction toward the leftin Fig. 1 will cause its operating lug 29 or 30 toabut the correspondingshaft key 3| or 32 and hence to rotate the shaft in a counter-clockwisedirection as viewed'in that gure, but without moving the other lever.Each lever is automatically returned in the rearward or non-feedingdirection, toward the right in Fig. l, herein by means of a returnspring 31 having its forward end anchored as by the stud 38 andconnected at its rear end to an arm 39 keyed on the shaft 20 asindicated at 39,

Fig. 2. The return movement is communicated from the shaft 20 throughthe respective key 3| or 32 to the operating lug 29 or 3U of theparticular lever which has been advanced at any time, so that the commonspring 31 is operative to move either lever rearwardly in the returndirection. Laterally projecting stops 48 and 4| on the respective levers2| and 22 are engageable with back stops 42 and 43 on the side frames,for limiting the return movement of the levers.

Rotation of the main operating shaft 20 in the counter-clockwisedirection, through the forward or feeding movement of either operatinglever, serves to actuate the lower feed roll 6 so as to advance the tape'I between the latter and the upper pinch roll 5, which latter also maybe driven if desired but as illustrated is an idler rotated from thelower roll by engagement upon the upper face of the tape. The driveconnections between the shaft 2D andthe lower roll y6 include a suitablegear train and one-way drive means.

As herein illustrated said connections comprise a toothed ratchet disk45 fast on the shaft 20 and is adapted to be engaged by one or morepivoted spring-pressed pawls two of which are shown at 46 and 41. Thesepawls are pivotally mounted as at 48, 49 upon one face, herein the outerface, of a relatively large gear 50. This gear 50 is loosely lreceivedon the shaft 20 and meshes with a pinion 5| on the same stud shaft 52with an intermediate gear 53. The latter in turn meshes with a drivepinion 54 on a bushing 55 secured on the lower feed roll shaft 58 whereit is removably held as by the collar 56 and the set screw 51. The shaft58 and bushing 55 have bearing support upon the right side frame and theother end of the shaft is suitably journaled in the opposite frame.l Thelower feed roll 6 is adjustably secured on the shaft 58 as by the setscrew 59. Thus forward movement of either feed lever 2| or 22 actuatesthe feed rolls in a tape feeding direction, but the latter remain atrest during the return of either feed lever, by reason of the describedone-way or pawl and ratchet drive connection between the shaft 20 andthe feed rolls. On the drawings the arrows indicate the direction ofmovement of the corresponding parts when the tape is being fed.

The described gear train and the lower portion of the operating lever 2|are housed Within a cover plate 60 demountably secured to the adjacentside frame I as by bolts 6|, Fig. 1. The cover platehas the general formof a quadrant, in the illustrated form, its upper and forward edgeportion being formed along an arc struck from the center of the shaft 20and being spaced from the side frame sufficiently to alford an operatingslot or channel 62 for the projecting lever 2| A similar but oppositelydisposed cover plate 63 and operating slot 64 for the feed lever 22 areprovided at the opposite or left side of the machine. Each of the coverplates 60 and 63 is formed with an arcuate slot 64 and 65, concentricwith the shaft 20, for the reception of an adjustable stop '66.

In the operation of the machine, either of the levers 2| and 22 may beutilized as a shortlength feed member and the other one for longerlengths. In the adjustment of the parts as illustrated in Fig. 1 thestop 66 at the right side of the machine is set back from the front endof the slot 64 approximately one-third of the total available feed`stroke for the lever 2|. It will be assumed that the corresponding stop,if any is being used, for the left feed lever 22 is at a lower positionand hence that the lever 2| is set for use as the shorter length feedmember. In order to have the stop 66 appear in Fig. 2 it is shownpositioned farther back along the slot 64 than in Fig. 1, at a pointcorresponding to a setting for a much shorter length of tape than inFig. 1.

As best seen in Fig. 2, said stop 66 comprises a bolt-like member ofwhich the head constitutes the stop proper. The outer end of the stop,projecting outwardly through the cover plate 66 is threaded for thereception of a thumb nut 61 whereby the stop may be loosened forshifting along the slot 64 to the point corresponding to the desiredlength of tape, where it may be secured by retightening the thumb nut.To assist in setting the stop a graduated index 68 may be provided alongthe upper exposed ange of the cover plate, or upon an adjacent portionof the side frame l, and the stop is equipped with a pointer 69 movablealong the index. This index may also be utilized for visually measuringout any desired length of tape, a cooperating pointer 10 being provided,as upon the feed lever, for use in reading the scale or index 68 todetermine the length which has been fed at any point during the forwardmovement of the feed lever. The corresponding adjustable stop (not seenin the figures), movable in the slot 65 of the left cover plate 63, maylikewise be supplied with a setting pointer for cooperation with acorresponding index or scale 1l, and the feedlever 22 desirably islikewise provided with a pointer 12 to assist in reading the scale inobtaining visually measured lengths of tape.

It will be seen that the described feed mechanism makes instantlyavailable to the operator either of two different lengths of tape,through the selective use of one or another of the feed levers, oneserving as a long-length control member and the other being utilized forthe shortlength control. Either of the selectively available lengths maybe varied and predeterminedly set for any required tape measurementwithin the limits of a single feed stroke, which stroke may be repeatedif desired, fully or partially, as below pointed out, before the tape iscut off. Thus a single full stroke of either lever will deliveraccurately a given predetermined tape length, depending upon thepositioning of its adjustable front stop or stops. In some instancesboth levers and the cooperating stops may be set to supply the samelengths, if the machine is to be used by two different operators Workingfrom its opposite sides, but the disclosed arrangement is particularlyadapted for instantly supplying either of two selective lengths. It willalso be understood that either of such lengths may be lvaried at thewill of the operator, merely by stopping the particular lever short ofitsfront stop and using the visual scale and pointer for making anydesired measurement, or by repeating the feed stroke any desired numberof times, either fully or partially, before the tape is cut olf.

The disclosed mechanism has the important advantage that once thesettings for the plural feed means have been made, in accordance withthe predetermined requirements, the operator may instantly obtain eitherof two lengths merely by selecting the correct lever and moving itforward until it is positively stopped, without having to giveattention, visually or otherwise, to passing some intermediate stopwhile the feed stroke is being made, or without having to control theback stroke or starting point of the levers. While I have illustratedthe levers and their stroke-length control stopsas arranged for varyingthe forward limits of movement, the normal full return or back positionof the levers not being varied and being the same for both levers, itwill be apparent, that generally similar results, as to immediateselectivity, may be obtained by variably and predeterminedly controllingthe return positions of the levers, as by the use of stops sim i ilar tothe members 68 located behind the levers, either additionally to oralternatively for the illustrated front stops.

In the illustrated embodiment I have shown other means contributing tothe delivery of accurate, measured lengths of tape. It sometimeshappens, with machines of the general type here concerned, that the feedlever or other operating member will rebound to some extent after itsreturn movement and thus tend to feed out a short amount of tape, beyondthat desired. This is further objectionable because it may interferewith the severing operation. Also at the forward limit of a feed stroke,particularly if the latter is stopped abruptly, the feed means may tendto overrun and so advance an additional undesired length. By the meansreferred to these objections are removed.

Referring to the drawings, the upper feed roll 5 is illustrated as anidler freely rotatable with respect to its supporting arm 80, as uponthe bolt 8| on said arm. The two feed rollsare relatively separable, inthis instance the upperA feed roll being bodily movable toward and awayfrom the lower feed roll 6 and into and out of operative feedingrelation with-the tape passing between the rolls. For this purpose thearm is formed as a lateral projection from a curved lever 82 having atits upper end a hub 83 rockably supported on a stud 84 on the adjacentand herein the left side frame I. The curved lever 82 extends downwardlyat the rear of the main operating shaft 28. At a point substantiallyopposite the latter it carries a cam roll 85 adapted to be en- -gaged bythe high part 86 yof cammember 81 adjustably fixed on the shaft 20 as bythe set screw 88, Fig. 2. A similar cam member 89 having a high portion90 is also adjustably secured to the shaft as by the set screw 9|, thetwo cam members being adjacent and in effect constituting parts of anadjustable cam element, both parts of which are cooperable with the camroll 85 on the curved lever 82. The cam roll is yieldingly held inoperative relation with the cam element as by a spring 82.

In the adjustment of the parts as illustrated in Fig. 1, the cam portion86 is set to engage the cam roll 85 and so to shift the lower end of thecurved lever 82 outwardly, shortly before or just as the particularlever 2| or 22 reaches its full return position. The lever is thus movedin a 'counter-clockwise direction with respect to its pivot 84 and hencebodily carries the upper feed roll 5 upwardly and away from the tape andfrom the lower feed roll 6. Hence operative feeding engagement of thetape is interrupted and rebound of the lever, which is generally smallin extent, if any, will be inoperative to advance the tapeobjectionably. The other cam member 89,

8|) performs a similar function in connection wit the forward feedstrokes of the levers, the cam being set in adjusted positionappropriate to that of the lever feed stop for the lever which is usingthe longer stroke. In some instances the adjustable cam means such asillustrated may be utilized, either in addition to the lever controlstops or independently of them, for predeterminedly varying the lengthsof the tape feed by setting the cams or either of them to effectseparation of the feed rolls at the desired point either in connectionwith the feeding stroke of one or the other of the levers, or its returnstroke, or both. At such times, if desired, the adjustable lever stopssuch as the member 66 may be dispensed with, and if selectivity asbetween two lengths afforded by the respective levers 2l and 22 isdesired the shaft 20 may be made in two relatively movable sections, orseparate shafts may be employed, each section or shaft having a camelement, and a gear train operable on the common lower feed roll 6.

My invention is not limited to the particular illustrative embodimentherein shown and described, and I set forth its scope in my followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for moistening and severance, arock shaft and means to return it to an initial angular position, onewaydrive and gearing connections between the shaft and one of the feedrolls, a plurality of independent hand levers having each an operatinganda return movement, said levers operatively associated with the shaftto turn it in one direction thereby selectively to feed tape lengthscorresponding to the extent of the operating movement of the selectedlever, and positive means to limit the lever movements.

2. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing' dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for moistening and severance, arock shaft having an operative and a return movement, one-way drivegearing directly .connecting the shaft and one of the feed rolls, aplurality of selectively operable feed levers having each a feedingmovement and a return movement, abutment connecting means between eachlever and the shaft to turn the latter in the operative, feedingdirection, spring means for reversely turning the shaft thereby toeffect the return movement of .each lever, and adjustable stop meansindividually and variably to limit the feeding movements of the levers.

3. In a hand-operated vmachine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for moistening and severance, arock shaft on the frame, a pivoted operating lever having a feedmovement and an opposite return movement, interengageable abutmentmembers on the shaft and lever for communicating movement from the leverto the shaft in the feeding direction and reversely in the returndirection and whereby the shaft may turn in the feed directionindependently of the lever, ratchet and drive means connecting the shaftand one of the feed rolls, and spring means to return the shaft and thelever to their initial angular position.

4. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for moistenlng and severance, arock shaft, a pivoted operating lever having'a feed movement and anopposite return movement, interengageable abutment members on the shaftand lever for communicating movement from the lever to the shaft in thefeeding direction and reversely in the return direction and whereby theshaft may turn in the feed direction independently of the lever, ratchetand drive means connecting .the shaft and one of the feed rolls, springmeans to return the shaft and the lever to their initial angularposition, and other operating means for turning the shaft inthe feedingdirection independently of said lever and constructed and arranged toremain inoperative during operation of the lever.

5. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for `moistening and severance, arock shaft, a single ,train of one-way drive connections between theshaft and one of the feed rolls, spring means biasing the shaft in thenon-feeding or return direction, two independent feedlevers pivotallysupported adjacent opposite ends of the shaft, and 'an operating memberon each lever and corresponding abutment means on the shaft wherebyeither lever will serve to rock the shaft in the feeding direction whileleaving the other lever at rest and whereby each lever is returned bythe reverse turning of the shaft.

6. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for moistening and severance, oneof said rolls being bodily separable from the other, a rook shaft on theframe, one-Way drive connections between the rock shaft and the feedrollsto cause them to feed tape when the shaft is turned in onedirection, spring means to return the shaft in the opposite direction,an operating lever pivoted to have a feeding movement from and anopposite return movement to an initial rest position, disengageableconnections between the lever and the shaft whereby feeding movement ofthe lever turns the shaft in the feeding direction and return movementof the shaft returns the lever, means to limit the lever movement ineach direction, and cam means operated by the shaft to separate therolls as the feed lever is returned to its rest position.

'7. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape fo'r moistening and severance, oneof said rolls being bodily separable from the other, a rock Shaft n theframe, one-way drive connections between the rock shaft and the feedrolls to cause them tol feed tape when the shaft is turned in onedirection, spring means to return the shaft in the opposite direction,an operating lever pivoted to have a feeding movement from and anopposite said cam means similarly functioning ,to separate the rolls onreturn of the second lever to its rest position.

8. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for moistening and severance, oneof said rolls being bodily separable from the other, a rock shaft on theframe, one-way drive connections between the rock shaft and the feedrolls to cause them to feed tape when the shaft is turned in onedirection, spring means to return the shaft in the opposite direction,an'operatingvlever pivoted to have a feeding movement fromand anopposite return movement to an initial rest position, disengageableconnections between the lever and the shaft whereby feeding movement ofthe lever turns the shaft in the feeding direction and return movementof the shaft returns the lever, means to limit the lever movement ineach direction, cam means operated by the shaft to separate the rolls asthe feed lever is returned to its res't position, a second operatinglever simiconnections with the shaft, whereby either lever will remainat rest during operation of the other,

said cam means similarly functioning to separate the rolls on return ofthe second lever to its rest position, and means relatively to vary thelengths of the feeding movement of said levers.

9. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for moistening and severance, oneof said rolls being bodily-separable from the other, an operating leverfor said feed rolls, said lever having feeding and return movements,spring return means for the lever, one-way drive connections between thelever and one of the rolls, limiting means for the lever return movementand with respect to which the lever under the action of its springreturn means is susceptible to a rebound in the feeding direction, andcam means associated with the lever and its spring return means anddrive connections for movement in one direction during feeding movementof the lever and oppositely during return movement thereof to effectseparation of said rolls as the lever is returned and in such manner asto render possible rebound of the lever ineffective to feed tape.

10. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for moistening and severance, oneof said rolls being bodily movable to and from operative feedingrelation to the other roll, one-way drive connections for the rolls,including a gear train and a manual operating lever, said lever having afeeding movement and a return movement, and

cam and spring means cooperating with the operating lever in bothdirections of movement thereof for shifting the movable roll intofeeding relation near the beginning of the feed movement of the leverand out of said relation as an accompaniment of the return movement ofthe lever.

11. In a tape dispensing machine, in comblnation, a support for a tapesupply, a pair of opposed rolls engageable with the opposite faces ofthe tape to advance it from the supply for moistening and severance,drive mechanism for the rolls including a gear train and a manual filoperating lever having a feeding movement and a return movement, a leverreturn spring, one of said rolls being bodily movable to and fromoperative feeding relation to the other roll, and cam means operatingwith the lever during both movements thereof whereby the movable roll isshifted into feeding relation at the start of the feeding lmovement of alever and is shifted out of such feeding relation as the operating levercompletes its return movement.

12. In a tape dispensing machine, in combination, a support for .a tapesupply, a pair of opposed rolls engageable with the opposite faces ofthe tape to advance it from the supply for molstening and severance,drive mechanism for the rolls including a gear train and a manualoperating lever having a feeding movement and a return movement, one ofsaid rolls being bodily movable to and from operative feeding relationto the other roll, a movable arm supporting the bodily movable roll forsaid movement thereof,.

spring means intermediate said arm and a fixed part and urging the rollinto feeding relation, and cam means connected with the 'lever' formovement in one and the opposite direction during the feeding and thereturn movements of the lever respectively, said cam means acting upon`the movable arm so that the movable roll is shifted out of such feedingrelation as an a c companiment of completion of movement of theoperating lever in either and both directions.

13. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply` of dry-gummedtape, opposed rolls. for advancing the tape for moistening andseverance, drive mechanism for the rolls including a manual operatinglever having a feeding movement and a return movement,

an arm having a xed pivot on the frame, said arm rotatably supportingone of the rolls for bodily movement thereof to and from operativefeeding relation to the other roll, spring means acting on said arm'soas to urge the roll into feeding relation, rotary cam means associatedwith the operating lever and lroll drive mechanism for opposite movementduring the respective movements of the lever, and an element carried bysaid arm and-engageable by said cam means positively to shiftsaidmovable roll from, and permit its return to, said feeding relationat a predetermined time with respect to the lever movement in one or theopposite direction, said spring means acting to maintain the bodilymovable roll under a uniform pressure upon the tape opposite the otherroll during the entire period of each feeding relation of the rolls.

14. In a hand-operated machine for dispensing dry-gummed tape, incombination, a frame, a support thereon for a supply of dry-gummed tape,opposed rolls for advancing the tape for moistening and severance, saidrolls being separably supported upon the frame, an operating shaft,one-Way drive and gear connections between the shaft and one of the feedrolls, a p1u rality of hand levers each movable in feeding and oppositereturn directions and operatively associated with the shaft to turn itduring lever movement in thefeeding direction thereby selectively tofeed tape lengths corresponding to the extent of movement of theselected lever, and means associated with said shaft and cooperatingwith each of the handlevers to eifect separation and return of the rollsat predetermined times. TREVOR R. GAUTIER.

